Textiles: A Catalyst for Transformational Social Change; Nonprofits Using textiles to Empower

Amelia J. Wiggins

doi:10.17918/D8Z66F

Today's maker's space culture is a burgeoning phenomenon. At makers spaces, people come together with shared interests to be creative. Globally, diverse age and economic groups are creating magical crafted objects. Within this reemerging trend is a reemergence of textiles. This catalyst to empower and transform lives is not a new phenomenon. For this study, nonprofit organizations are creating programs to engage participants through the mutable characteristics of textiles. Millennium digital e-commerce websites such as Etsy, Bonanza, and ArtYah are dominating the chic, cool and pleasing aesthetics of textiles. This study on textiles as a catalyst for transformational change will show how diverse nonprofit organizations are using textiles to empower the lives of their participants. Thus, proving the mutability of using textiles as a catalyst to transform the lives of vulnerable populations. The study will also show the return of millennial maker spaces are, in essence, a return to traditions that intrinsically nurtures and empowers others. Through my research, I have found dozens of nonprofit organizations around the world who are using textiles to empower others. While the demographics and geography may change, the consistent denominator of using textiles has aided some of society's most vulnerable populations. The Refugee Sewing Society is one of those unique organization. Participants from this organization are global refugees who consider themselves to be the fortunate ones. For example, they arrive daily from crowded refugee camps, communities riddled with war, persecution, and poverty. As a partner ministry for the Clarkston International Bible Church, The Friends of Refugees gives funding and guidance to the Refugee Sewing Society in Clarkston, Georgia. This organization uses textiles as a transformational tool to acclimate refugees during their resettlement process in the United States. For many of the refugees, English is their second language. The Society offers English language classes, sewing, knitting and crochet classes. Those who have experience in sewing share their sewing techniques. Through the organization's onsite retail store and e-commerce Esty account, the Refugee Sewing Society gives participants the opportunity to earn a reasonable wage from their creations. My study will show that by creating their own product lines from textiles, these refugee women become increasingly empowered towards self-sufficiency. As they work with textile programs, the women achieve a sense of self-worth. Another organization, The Fabric Workshop and Museum's High School Apprentice Training Program uses textiles as the foundation for their silk screening visual arts programs. In using textiles, this organization allows students to be creative and nurtured by the museum's staff. Students learn to collaborate with multiple persons including the resident artists, designers, and staff. The structured discipline prepares students for any future endeavors in the arts and culture sector. At the Portside Arts Center textile program will also be discussed in this study. The program uses upholstery as their catalyst for transformative social change. This textile program trains military veterans on how to use, choose, manipulate and fasten upholstery textiles to bare-bones chairs. This study found that the use of textiles with this model program relieved stress and anxieties related to returning to civilian life. The Portside program consists of an expert upholstery instructor and an art therapist to support and guide the veterans through their tasks. The study will show that this program aids the veterans in a nurturing and comforting way. The study found that through the tasks of upholstering, the veterans were reintroduced to the mechanics of coping better with their frustrations. The study relays that during class sessions, the art therapist overheard conversations among the participants relating their familial memories of relatives using textiles. These sessions allowed the participants to find the universality of using textiles in its many forms.

Textiles: A Catalyst for Transformational Social Change; Nonprofits Using textiles to Empower

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Textiles: A Catalyst for Transformational Social Change; Nonprofits Using textiles to Empower

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